Yogi Adityanath

Yogi Adityanath was appointed as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh after the Bharatiya Janata Party swept the state polls in 2017. He renounced his family at 21 to become a monk and is the high priest of the Gorakhnath Math, a Hindu temple.

Adityanath was a member of Parliament from the Gorakhpur constituency for five consecutive terms since 1998. He is the founder of the Hindu Yuva Vahini, a Hindu nationalist group.

During his six months in power, Adityanath announced a blanket ban on cow-smuggling, announced farm loan waivers and introduced “anti-Romeo” squads to crack down on harassment of women on the streets.